Researcher & Former Director, Pfizer, Sweden
The advancement of medical science has taken the world to an unprecedented height today. Human life expectancy has increased, methods of curing diseases have improved—but hidden behind this progress lies a cruel reality: medicine has now become a profitable business, and human beings have turned into laboratory subjects.
An odd practice has now taken root in Bangladesh’s politics – all failures, corruption or injustices in the country seem always to be blamed on one party alone. As if no one else in this country has committed any sin, crime, or carries any responsibility.
Sweden holds elections under the Proportional Representation (PR) system. In this system, parliamentary seats are distributed according to the proportion of votes cast. As a result, no single party can monopolise power; coalition-building becomes essential for governance.
Born out of the ruins of the Second World War in 1945, the United Nations was created with the hope of ensuring peace, justice and security for humanity. Its aim was to establish a global platform where all states would participate equally and disputes would be resolved through dialogue, not conflict. But after nearly eight decades the question arises—has the UN fulfilled its mission, or is it now standing at the edge of collapse?
Norway has just completed a national election. The entire process was transparent, peaceful and exemplary by democratic standards. After the results were announced, a remarkable political culture was on display.
Shakespeare’s Hamlet, trapped in his own dilemmas and uncertainties, failed to shoulder the responsibilities of kingship. When Hamlet was paralysed by his own crisis, the future of the kingdom too stood in peril. The picture of our Bangladesh is no less grim. Fifty-four long years have passed since independence, yet we remain like Hamlet—entangled in inner conflicts and selfishness—unable to take the right decisions for the nation. The lure of comfort, indulgence and selfish desires has shackled our thinking power, while politics too is caught in a web of confusion and rivalry.